True Commitments.

Over the last few years, close friends of mine have been working to open a brewery in our town. The idea is several years, or perhaps a decade old. But, from the Kickstarter campaign until today,  I have seen them go through the spectrum of human emotion.
They have been varying degrees of ecstatic, exhausted, frazzled, fried, frustrated, pissed off, elated, grouchy, on the brink of despair; they have experienced and lived through the depths of commitment.
Like having a child, or starting a new relationship, when the going gets tough, we cannot just walk away, or give up in disgust.
But in a very similar theme, we cannot just go blindly forth and start something without the willingness to commit to it.
It's difficult for people, I believe, to understand the kind of commitment it takes to start a new business. Imagine leaving your job, where you have a regular paycheck and some job security on a huge gamble. Imagine how you wake up at night and wonder exactly what the hell you're doing? What if you or a loved one get's sick? What if you're house is washed away in a flood? The doubts and fears that vanish in the face of all you accomplish can really gnaw at your soul in the bleak moments.
If you're weak, or if you have an unclear purpose, or if you're just impulsive, imagine how crippling that fear could be.
My friends have not, and will not give up on their way to opening their brewery, regardless of the hours of struggle and frustration that they have had to work through, they are both committed.
The lesson that we can take from this is to be thoughtful about the things we decide to do in our lives.
Measure twice, cut once, as my grandfather would say.
Weigh the options. Have plan B and C and D in the margins in case. But in more than this, we have to be cautious that we are not talked into something that could be detrimental to us in the long run.

But at the same time, while I speak words of caution, we have to admit that there was a certain amount of bravery in the face of the unknown and courage in the face of despair that carried these two and their families to this point.
We cannot forever hide ourselves from possibilities that may make us better or help us grow, or to finally be happy.
But we cannot do it rashly.
One of the biggest scams in this world is that you can say a few words, with good intentions and some magical power will cover you with goodness and riches and no want. These philosophies claim that if you simply name what you want, it is as good as having it.
The reality is quite otherwise.
If you want something in this world, you have to be willing to grab hold of it and wrestle it to the ground with all of the bruises to ego and scratches to hope and dreams.
Do not be cowed into believing you can't do what you want if you're motivated and willing to take the knocks. But also, don't be scammed into thinking you're going to be given an easy time of it.